It is fitting that a Flight
Engineer head this page. Their immense technical knowledge of the C-133
was critical to safe operation of such a huge, complex aircraft. They had
developed their extensive expertise first as flight line aircraft
mechanics, before going on flight status. In the C-133, the flight
engineers were crucial to mission success, especially at locations where
C-133 expertise, supplies and equipment were scarce. Their abilities to
work with what was available often made the difference between moving the
mission and more delay. Many C-133 flight engineers had experience dating back to the B-17, B-24, C-54 and C-124,
all of which counted very strongly.

Aircraft performance was the other area where the engineers were indispensable.
Long overwater legs made fuel management crucial, especially when going to
destinations where there were no alternates, such as McMurdo Sound. There
were some missions that were truly off the charts, such as one to Quito,
Ecuador, where the airport was above 13,000'. In those cases, the engineers
and pilots extrapolated from information published in the performance manual.

Flying crew chiefs often
augmented the flight crews, especially in the final years, when the
level of C-133 knowledge among enroute transient maintenance personnel had
declined and supplies were becoming scarce. The crew chiefs worked while
the crew slept and were not able to enjoy the local attractions to the
same extent. But, they were often the difference between moving the
mission and not.
The rest of this page will give a wide variety of information about the
airplane and its performance.

C-133 Cargomaster Specifications

Following
are detailed specifications for the C-133A, as obtained from Douglas Aircraft
Co. archives and aircraft manuals. Both the C-133A and C-133B had much more powerful engines by
1970. Those data are shown in the summary table below.

Summary Specifications

Wingspan:179’8”Stabilizer Span:60’00“

Length:157’6“Cargo Deck Length:81’10”

Height:48’9”Main Gear Width:21’8”

Cargo deck ht:50”

Limiting load dimensions:C-133A105” width

150” height

C-133B142” width

151” height

Side loading door, both106” width

100” height

Ground Clearance:8’00” Inboard Propeller

8’8”Outboard
Propeller

18’3” Top of Fuselage

16” Bottom of fuselage

22’3” Wingtip

Min Turning Radius140’ outside wingtip (for 180° turn with

brakes and power assistance)

160’ outside wingtip (for 180° turn without

brakes or power assistance)

175’ outside wingtip (for 360° turn without

brakes or power assistance)

180’ outside wingtip (for 180° turn without

brakes or power assistance and nose gear

turned to maximum degree not to activate

nose steering warning system horn)

Design zero fuel wt215,000 pounds (C-133A/B)

Design Gross Wt:275,000 pounds (C-133A)

282,000 pounds (max overload TOGW)

282,000 pounds (max landing GW)

286,000 pounds (C–133B)

300,000 pounds (max overload TOGW)

300,000 pounds (max landing GW)

Engines:Pratt &
Whitney T34-P-7WA with 6,500 shaft HP (C-133A)

Pratt & Whitney T34-P-9W with 7,500 shaft HP (C-133B)

Fuel Capacity:
18,236 gal (109,416 lbs)

Oil Capacity:
60 gallons

Propellers:Curtiss-Wright Turboelectric
CTS35S-B319, 18’ diameter

Landing Gear:Main gear two independent dual tandem trucks

Nose gear twin wheels

Cruise
TAS
260 knots (C-133A) 270 knots (C-133B)

Ceilings
Absolute (Zero fpm rate of climb)
35,000'

Service (100 fpm rate of climb) determined by gross weight

Cruise (300 fpm rate of climb) determined by gross weight

Detail Specifications

The following data are from Douglas Aircraft Co. for the C-133A. The changes
were only in engine power and specifications, as shown above.

Otherwise, the main structural data remained constant, as far as I know.
This may indeed be more detail than most people want, but at least a